Programs

  • Program 1 [2020]

    PRODUCES ABOUT 1,500 REPORTS ON NATIONALLY-SOLICTING CHARITIES BASED ON THE 20 BBB STANDARDS FOR CHARITY ACCOUNTABILITY. PUBLIC INQUIRIES HELP DETERMINE WHICH CHARITIES ARE EVALUATED. CHARITIES CAN ALSO REQUEST TO BE EVALUATED. PRODUCES A WISE GIVING GUIDE MAGAZINE THREE TIMES PER YEAR, WHICH INCLUDES A SUMMARY LIST OF CHARITY EVALUATIONS. CHARITIES THAT MEET ALL 20 STANDARDS ARE CALLED BBB ACCREDITED CHARITIES. THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR CHARITY ACCREDITATION AND THE RESULTING REPORTS ARE FREE TO THE PUBLIC AT GIVE.ORG. ACCREDITED CHARITIES HAVE THE OPTION OF LICENSING A BBB CHARITY SEAL FOR A SLIDING SCALE FEE. OF THE CHARITIES THAT PROVIDE REQUESTED INFORMATION, 70% WERE FOUND TO MEET ALL 2O BBB CHARITY STANDARDS AND 30% DID NOT MEET ONE OR MORE OF THE STANDARDS. THE CURRENT NAME, BBB WISE GIVING ALLIANCE (BBB WGA) BEGAN TO BE USED IN 2001. HOWEVER, UNDER PREVIOUS NAMES, THE LEGACY OF BBB REPORTING ON NATIONAL CHARITIES DATES BACK TO THE 1920'S. IN ADDITION TO ITS LONG HISTORY, ONE OF THE KEY DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN BBB WGA AND OTHER CHARITY MONITORING ORGANIZATIONS IS THAT IT IS A STANDARDS-BASED CHARITY EVALUATOR. THE 20 BBB STANDARDS FOR CHARITY ACCOUNTABILITY ADDRESS, AMONG OTHER THINGS, CHARITY GOVERNANCE, FINANCES, RESULTS REPORTING, TRANSPARENCY AND ACCURATE APPEALS. THESE STANDARDS SERVE AS THE BASIS FOR RIGOROUS EVALUATIONS COMPLETED BY THE BBB WGA EXPERT RESEARCH STAFF. A DETAILED EXPLANATION OF HOW EACH STANDARD IS APPLIED APPEARS ON GIVE.ORG. ON THE GIVE.ORG WEBSITE, A WEEKLY "WISE GIVING WEDNESDAY" BLOG ADDRESSES VARIOUS CHARITY ACOUNTABILITY ISSUES, SUCH AS ADVICE ON GIVING TO VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS AND SIGNALS OF TRUST FOR CHARITIES. DURING 2020, THE BLOG REACHED THE MILESTONE OF 300 POSTINGS SINCE ITS INCEPTION. THE BLOG ALSO INCLUDES A "BUILDING TRUST" VIDEO SERIES WHICH CONSISTS OF INTERVIEWS WITH CEO'S OF MAJOR CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS. IN NOVEMBER 2020, BBB WGA RELEASED THE THIRD EDITION OF THE GIVE.ORG DONOR TRUST REPORT; AN IN-DEPTH LOOK INTO THE STATE OF TRUST IN THE CHARITABLE SECTOR. THE REPORT, A SURVEY OF 2,100 ADULTS IN THE U.S AND 1,000 IN CANADA, EXPLORES DONOR BELIEFS, FEELINGS, AND BEHAVIORAL INTENTIONS RELATED TO CHARITY TRUST AND GIVING. KEY FINDINGS BASED ON THIS THREE YEARS OF DATA INCLUDED: (1) A SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN THE PORTION OF DONORS RELYING ON FINANCIAL RATIOS AS A SIGNAL OF TRUST, AND (2) AN EROSION OF PUBLIC CONFIDENCE ON TRUST BEFORE GIVING. IN JULY 2020, BBB WGA DISTRIBUTED A SPECIAL EDITION OF THE GIVE.ORG DONOR TRUST REPORT THAT FOCUSED ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE CHARITABLE SECTOR. CLOSE TO 50 PERCENT OF U.S. DONORS BELIEVE SEXUAL HARASSMENT IS EITHER A COMMON PROBLEM OR SOMETIMES A PROBLEM IN CHARITY WORKPLACES. DURING JULY 2020, BBB WGA INTRODUCED A NEW DESIGN FOR ITS GIVE.ORG WEBSITE. AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE NEW SITE SEEKS TO PROVIDE DONORS WITH IMPROVED ACCESS TO CHARITY REPORTS AND WISE GIVING INFORMATION. NEW FEATURES ALSO WERE ADDED FOR CHARITIES TO HELP STRENGTHEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF CHARITY ACCOUNTABILITY ISSUES.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $1.7M

  • Program 2 [2020]

    IN JULY 2020, BBB WGA LAUNCHED GIVESAFELY.IO, A SECURE TRUST BASED DONATION PLATFORM FOR BBB ACCREDITED CHARITIES (I.E., CHARITIES THAT MEET BBB CHARITY STANDARDS). IT AIMS TO PROTECT DONORS' PERSONAL DATA BY USE OF THE ARDOR BLOCKCHAIN. DATA IS ONLY PASSED ON TO THE CHARITY WITH THE DONORS' CONSENT. IT ALSO ENABLES DONORS TO DONATE WITH CRYPTOCURRENCY. DURING 2020, BBB WGA HELD A SERIES OF NO-CHARGE VIDEO MEETINGS WITH CHARITY EXECUTIVES. THIS WAS INTENDED TO SERVE AS A VIRTUAL WORKSHOP SERIES WHERE BBB ACCREDITED CHARITIES CONNECT AND INTERACT WITH EXPERTS AND COLLEAGUES IN THE CHARITABLE SECTOR TO DISCUSS HOW THEY WERE COPING DURING THE PANDEMIC AND OTHER CHARITABLE SECTOR ISSUES OF INTEREST. BBB WGA ALSO LAUNCHED THE "HEART OF GIVING" PODCAST IN 2020 WHICH INVOLVES A SERIES OF DETAILED DISCUSSIONS WITH CHARITY SECTOR LEADERS ON VARIOUS TOPICS SUCH AS THE MOTIVATIONS BEHIND WHAT WE GIVE AND WHAT DROVE CHARITY EXECUTIVES TO A CAREER OF SERVICE AND GIVING. THE ADVANCING COLLABORATION PROJECT STARTED IN 2017 AS AN ARTICLE SERIES CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH STANFORD SOCIAL INNOVATION REVIEW. THESE ARTICLES SOUGHT TO ENCOURAGE CHARITIES TO SEEK OUT NEW PARTNERSHIPS AS A WAY TO REACH LARGER AUDIENCES WHILE SHARING RISK AND HELPING ACHIEVE MORE THAN AN ORGANIZATION CAN DO ALONE. BBB WGA'S WEBSITE PROVIDES EXAMPLES OF COLLABORATIONS FROM A VARIETY OF CHARITIES.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $143.5K

  • Charity Evaluation and Accountability

    BBB WGA PRODUCES ABOUT 1,500 REPORTS ON NATIONALLY-SOLICTING CHARITIES BASED ON THE 20 BBB STANDARDS FOR CHARITY ACCOUNTABILITY. PUBLIC INQUIRIES HELP DETERMINE WHICH CHARITIES ARE EVALUATED. CHARITIES CAN ALSO REQUEST TO BE EVALUATED. PRODUCES A WISE GIVING GUIDE MAGAZINE THREE TIMES PER YEAR, WHICH INCLUDES A SUMMARY LIST OF CHARITY EVALUATIONS. CHARITIES THAT MEET ALL 20 STANDARDS ARE CALLED BBB ACCREDITED CHARITIES. THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR CHARITY ACCREDITATION AND THE RESULTING REPORTS ARE FREE TO THE PUBLIC AT GIVE.ORG. ACCREDITED CHARITIES HAVE THE OPTION OF LICENSING A BBB CHARITY SEAL FOR A SLIDING SCALE FEE. OF THE CHARITIES THAT PROVIDE REQUESTED INFORMATION, 70% WERE FOUND TO MEET ALL 2O BBB CHARITY STANDARDS AND 30% DID NOT MEET ONE OR MORE OF THE STANDARDS.THE CURRENT NAME, BBB WISE GIVING ALLIANCE (BBB WGA) BEGAN TO BE USED IN 2001. HOWEVER, UNDER PREVIOUS NAMES, THE LEGACY OF BBB REPORTING ON NATIONAL CHARITIES DATES BACK TO THE 1920'S.IN ADDITION TO ITS LONG HISTORY, ONE OF THE KEY DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN BBB WGA AND OTHER CHARITY MONITORING ORGANIZATIONS IS THAT IT IS A STANDARDS-BASED CHARITY EVALUATOR. THE 20 BBB STANDARDS FOR CHARITY ACCOUNTABILITY ADDRESS, AMONG OTHER THINGS, CHARITY GOVERNANCE, FINANCES, RESULTS REPORTING, TRANSPARENCY AND ACCURATE APPEALS. THESE STANDARDS SERVE AS THE BASIS FOR RIGOROUS EVALUATIONS COMPLETED BY THE BBB WGA EXPERT RESEARCH STAFF. A DETAILED EXPLANATION OF HOW EACH STANDARD IS APPLIED APPEARS ON GIVE.ORG.BBB WGA PUBLISHES A MAGAZINE THREE TIMES A YEAR, THE WISE GIVING GUIDE, THAT FEATURES COVER STORIES ON CHARITY ACCOUNTABILITY TOPICS ALONG WITH A SUMMARY CHART OF ITS MOST CURRENT NATIONAL CHARITY EVALUATIONS. COVER STORY TOPICS IN 2023 INCLUDED CHARITY MONITORING IN OTHER COUNTRIES, DECLINE IN PERCENTAGE OF U.S. HOUSEHOLDS THAT DONATE, AND A DONOR HANDBOOK COVERING VARIOUS GIVING SUBJECTS.THE GIVE.ORG WEBSITE INCLUDES A WEEKLY "WISE GIVING WEDNESDAY' POSTING THAT ADDRESSES VARIOUS CHARITY ACOUNTABILITY ISSUES, SUCH AS ADVICE ON GIVING TO DISASTER RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS AND SIGNALS OF TRUST FOR CHARITIES. DURING 2023, WISE GIVING WEDNESDAY CONTINUED A SERIES OF ENTRIES FOCUSING ON DONATIONS TO ASSIST UKRAINE RELIEF EFFORTS AND HOW TO ASSIST UKRAINIAN REFUGEES THAT FLED TO NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES. OTHER WISE GIVING WEDNESDAY TOPICS INCLUDED ISRAEL/GAZA RELIEF EFFORTS, DONATING TO SHOOTING VICTIMS IN MAINE, AFGHANASTAN AND MOROCCO EARTHQUAKE RELIEF, AND MAUI WILDFIRE RELIEF. BBB WGA ALSO CONTINUED ITS 'BUILDING TRUST' VIDEO SERIES WHICH CONSISTS OF INTERVIEWS WITH CEO'S OF MAJOR CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS.IN OCTOBER 2023, BBB WGA PARTICIPATED IN INTERNATIONAL CHARITY FRAUD AWARENESS WEEK, WHICH REPRESENTS AN INTERNATIONAL COALITION OF GOVERNMENT REGULATORS, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, CHARITIES AND OTHERS SEEKING TO ADDRESS CHARITY FRAUD ISSUES. BBB WGA DISTRIBUTED DONOR ADVICE ON CHARITY FRAUD CAUTIONS.THE HEART OF GIVING PODCAST ENTERED ITS FOURTH YEAR OF PRODUCTION IN 2023. THIS WEEKLY SERIES INVOLVES DETAILED DISCUSSIONS WITH CHARITY SECTOR LEADERS ON VARIOUS TOPICS SUCH AS THE MOTIVATIONS BEHIND WHY WE GIVE AND WHAT DROVE CHARITY EXECUTIVES TO A CAREER OF SERVICE AND GIVING.IN NOVEMBER 2023, BBB WGA RELEASED THE SIXTH EDITION OF THE GIVE.ORG DONOR TRUST REPORT. THIS ANNUAL REVIEW OF TRUST AND GIVING ATTITUDES INVOLVES AN ONLINE SURVEY OF 2,100 ADULTS IN THE U.S AND 1,000 IN CANADA, WHICH EXPLORES DONOR BELIEFS, FEELINGS, AND BEHAVIORAL INTENTIONS RELATED TO CHARITY TRUST AND GIVING. KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE: 70% OF RESPONDENTS RATED THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUSTING A CHARITY BEFORE GIVING AS 9 OR 10 (ESSENTIAL) ON A 10-POINT SCALE. HOWEVER, ONLY 20% OF RESPONDENTS SAID THEY HIGHLY TRUST CHARITIES.IN JUNE 2023, BBB WGA DISTRIBUTED A SPECIAL EDITION OF THE GIVE.ORG DONOR TRUST REPORT THAT FOCUSED ON THE DROP OF DONOR PARTICIPATION. ONE OF THE KEY FINDINGS IS THAT SOME SAID THEY STOPPED CONTRIBUTING BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT AFFORD TO GIVE, PERFERRED OTHER WAYS OF BEING GENEROUS, DID NOT TRUST SOLICITING CHARITIES, OR DID NOT FEEL THEY HAD BEEN ASKED.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2023 – Dec 31, 2023
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $2M